At least Cleveland lost
After playing four games in five nights it was inevitable that the Celtics starting five, plus Glen Davis and Tony Allen, were going to be tired. It was also inevitable that Chicago was going to come out rested, having not played since Monday, and ready to go, because they’d been blown out by the Celtics twice this season on top of being sent home by the Celtics last May. And indeed, the Celtics were a step behind the Bulls all night. They were down around ten for the majority of the game, but in actuality, it was much more than that. Paul Pierce hit a three to cut the lead to six with four minutes remaining the fourth and I thought maybe they’d figure out some way to pull off a miracle, but within seconds the lead was back to ten. Such was the story of the whole game. The Celtics were never really in that game. Beyond looking sluggish and a step behind in their play, they looked positively sleep deprived out there. It’s a testament to how good they are that the score was that close, because the Bulls were playing at 100 percent and the Celtics were at something more like 70 percent.
At the end of the day, guys need to be playing less minutes. In the past three games, skipping the blowout against the Nets, Paul, Ray, Perk and Rondo have all averaged above 35 minutes. Perk is at the bottom of the list, averaging 36 minutes, and Rondo tops the list, at 42 minutes. 35 minutes for Perk is a good number, but for the rest it’s way too much and it can’t continue on this way. Rondo and Paul were both returning from injuries and jumping in to so many minutes can’t be good for them in the long run, which is what the Celtics should be focused on. This is especially true for Paul. He can’t be expected to guard the other teams best perimeter player for 40 plus minutes every night and then turn around and be the main scoring threat. The season is a marathon, not a sprint, and it is a battle of attrition. We’re around halfway through the season, and Rondo, Paul, KG, Rasheed, Big Baby and Marquis have all already missed time this season, with KG and Marquis missing considerable time. With KG out, Rasheed’s minutes have increased. Initially the increase in minutes could have been considered a good thing because it gave him the opportunity to get in to basketball shape. Now we know what happens when Rasheed plays too many minutes- he gets hurt. He’s thirty five years old. He can’t play 38 minutes a night. End of story. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have gas left in the tank. Quite the contrary- Rasheed is still a very effective weapon and he can score at will and shut anyone down defensively when he tunes in. He can play 25 to 30 minutes of solid basketball a night and in extreme cases, he can play 38, but it can not be consistent thing.
The Celtics have been battling injury since the beginning of the season, and as a result, they have yet to play with their complete roster. Glen Davis and Tony Allen went down at the very beginning of the season, and came back just in time to step in for Marquis and KG when they went down. TA has done a great job, even if he’s come down a little bit from the initial high of his return as of late. Glen Davis, on the other hand, worries me. First of all, when you look at him, the entire left side of his body is taped up. It’s in my opinion that he’s doing too much too soon. How is he supposed to get back in to basketball shape, get in to the flow of the season and gain confidence in his health if he’s doing too much too soon? I want him to be able to come back to 100 percent, and not aggravate old injuries and get new ones by playing too many minutes.
All of the injuries have prevented the Celtics from getting in to a flow, because there’s been no consistency with who’s playing. Hopefully they’ll be able to establish a flow and routine once Marquis comes back after all star break and all of the pieces are in place. In the meantime, I continue to wonder why the same guys are getting worked to the point of injury while the bench sits back. Not only is that method not working, because guys continue to get hurt, but it hasn’t been helping their record, either. I know they’re battling it out through this bout of injuries, but I can’t help feeling like they could be hurting themselves more in the long run, by making Rondo, Paul and Big Baby susceptible to further injury. The Celtics need meaningful contributions off the bench. That means Eddie House, Sheldon Williams, JR Giddens and Tony Allen need consistent, meaningful minutes. When they’re randomly thrown out there and not given the time to gain a feel for the game, how can they be expected to perform well? They need consistent minutes not only to gain confidence in their individual abilities, but also to gain confidence in each other and develop chemistry as a group. That can’t be manufactured playing in practice; it has to come from playing together in real games. I understand feeling more comfortable bringing in the bench after big leads have been built, but right now that’s not a viable option. The Celtics starting five are an exhausted group. A shot of energy from younger, athletic guys off the bench, while not a permanent solution, would be a great elixir in the meantime, while all the injured guys are on the mend.
